SAND

Tracks Screen

• Create a track by tapping the + button
• Tap the + buttons in the circles to:
  • add one instruments
  • add effects (midi or audio)
  • recall a track template
• track controls
  • solo
  • mute
  • arm:
    • arm a track to enable recording into clips.
    • the length of empty clips gets extended as notes are added
      • unless the length was set manually
    • non-empty clips will be overdubbed, i. e. the recorded notes are added into the clip
• Track menu (long press on a track)
  • rename track
  • duplicate track
  • save as template, and reuse the template to create another track with the same plugins, color, parameters
  • change track color
  • recording options:
    • pre midi plugins: record midi as it comes from the midi input
    • post midi plugins: use this to record output from midi plugins.
  • export
    • MIDI: generates midi files for the track clips
    • audio: renders all clips in the track and generates one audio wav file per clip
  • delete track
• Clip menu (long press on a menu)
  • edit: open clip editor
  • copy
  • paste
  • transpose one octave up or down
  • length: change clip length
  • quantize: align notes to the grid
  • legato: extend notes up to the following ones
  • import MIDI:
    • depending on the file format, one or more clips and tracks will be created
    • alternatively a MIDI file can be dropped from external apps
  • export
    • MIDI:
      • generates a single MIDI file for the clip
      • same operation can be done by dragging the clip to another app
    • audio:
      • generates a single audio wav file
  • delete

Toolbar

• open the bottom drawer by tapping on one of the buttons at the sides of the toolbar
• close the drawer by dragging the toolbar down
• in narrower screen configurations (iPad in multitasking or iPhone) the buttons on the left side could be collapsed . Press the button with the up and down arrow to select a section
• On-screen keyboard
  • pick a scale and a key note
  • add and remove keys with the - + buttons
  • move keyboard with the arrow buttons
    • either by one octave or one tone. Can be set in the settings
  • velocity is higher when pressing the lower part of a key.
  • Velocity sensitivity can be adjusted in the settings
• Track plugin parameters
  • pick and control any parameter of any plugin in the current track
  • long press on a parameter to
    • rename
    • delete
    • drag parameters to reorder
• Track MIDI Settings
  • MIDI Input: select a device or another track to receive MIDI from
    • selected track will receive MIDI when armed
  • MIDI Output: select a device to send MIDI to. Channel must also be specified
• Metronome
  • Ableton Link indicator is visible when a session is active. Enable or disable Ableton Link in the settings.
• Recording Options
  • Quantize recording: apply selected quantization when recording notes via on-screen keyboard or MIDI keyboard
  • Start recording after:
    • Count-In: after pressing the record button, 4 beats will be counted and then recording starts
    • First note: after pressing the record button, SAND waits and starts recording when a note is played (either on the on-screen keyboard or in a MIDI keyboard)
• Tape recorder: record to audio file(s)
  • tap the red record button and then start the song with the play button. The audio will be recorded onto audio files, one per track.
  • after stopping the recorder the audio file(s) can be exported

Clip Editor

• Select notes:
  • tap on a single note
  • long press and drag to select multiple notes
• Move selected notes
  • by dragging them
  • or with the arrow buttons. Toggle visibility of the arrow buttons by tapping the four arrows button
• Change notes length by dragging the handle on the righr
• Add notes (“+” button)
• Copy selected notes
• Paste selected notes at the position of the playhead indicator
  • move the playhead indicator by tapping or dragging the beat numbers bar
• Delete selected notes by tapping the trash can button
• Quantize notes (align button), quantization value is editable via the top left button
• legato: extend notes up to the following ones
• Change notes velocity with the slider on the triangle button
• Change clip length with control (- + ) on the top right
• Step Editor (via MIDI controller)
  • enter via “Enter” command when inside the clip editor
  • navigate to a step via “left” and “right” commands
  • toggle the step by hitting a key on the MIDI keyboard

Plugins screen

• Access by tapping on a plugin circle in the main screen
• Change order of effects (tap on a plugin in the tracks list → Edit → drag a plugin to move it)
• Toggle Clips view
• Plugin view
  • plugin user interface
  • plugin parameters
  • presets
• … menu
  • Default state for plugins: save the state for a plugin ( ⋯ → “Save as default state for plugin”). Every new instance of the plugin will start with that state and parameters
  • replace plugin with another
  • delete plugin
• show plugin interface fullscreen

Song Mode

• Tap on the + button on top of the tracks to create a section.
• Add clips to a section:
  • copy and paste, or drag and drop other clips
  • create an empty clip and record in it
• Launch a section tapping on its name:
  • all the clips in the section will start playing when it’s time
  • the section will loop the clips for the duration of its length
• Long press on a section button to:
  • rename
  • change length
  • duplicate
  • delete
• Drag and drop a section to move it.
• Export the whole song (either main track or separate tracks)
  • … > Export > Export Song

Compact Layout

• Tap the vertical handle on the left side to collapse the track header.
• If the project has one or more sections, drag the vertical handle on the right side to make room for sections or clips.
• Pinch vertically with two fingers to change tracks height

App Menu (…)

• MIDI
  • Controllers: connect and map MIDI devices to control SAND, see “MIDI Mapping”
  • Bluetooth: connect to MIDI bluetooth devices, must be done prior to being able to use them as inputs or controllers
• Sync
  • Ableton Link: enable or disable
• Project
  • Export
    • Export MIDI: export clips as MIDI files, one per clip
    • Export Audio: export clips as Audio files (.wav), one per clip
    • Ableton Live Set Export: export whole project as Live Set, can be opened in Ableton Live on Mac or Windows. Each track in SAND will be included twice in the Ableton Set: one with MIDI data, the other with rendered audio.
• Settings:
  • Preferred sample rate (iOS will actually decide which sample rate to use, based on audio interface and other apps)
  • Buffer size
  • App Icon: pick your favorite color

MIDI Mapping

• Create new mapping by pressing the + button on the top right
• Delete a mapping by swiping it to the left
• Map actions to MIDI controllers
  • Transport
    • control transport by mapping play, stop and record actions
  • Mixer
    • map tracks volume, pan, arm, mute, solo
  • Track
    • map actions to select previous / next track
      • parameters of the selected track will receive changes mapped to “Change Param X”
    • map actions to navigate previous / next effect in a track
      • parameters of the selected effect will receive changes mapped to “Change Param X”
    • toggle playing state of a clip
  • Editing
    • Shift keys
      • map up to 4 buttons on the MIDI controller to behave as shift keys: any other button on the MIDI controller can then be nmapped to multiple commands, depending on the shift button(s) being pressed or not
    • Enter:
      • when a track is selected, shows the plugins screen
      • when a clip is selected, enters the clip editor
      • inside the clip editor: enables the step editor
      • adds a parameter in the parameters view (track or plugin)
      • selects an item in a list
    • Escape:
      • exit the step editor
      • dismiss the clip editor
      • dismiss plugin and parameter lists
    • Up, Down:
      • select previous / next item in plugin, parameter and preset lists
    • Left, Right:
      • go to previous / next beat in the step editor
      • when a plugin is focused: switch plugin tab (plugin’s UI, parameters, presets)

Step editor

To use the step editor (see it in action in this video), the following commands need to be mapped:

• Enter
• Left
• Right
• (optionally) “Escape”

Once you are in the editor, press your “Enter” button on your midi controller, you’ll see the first step selected in red. At this point any note you press on your midi keyboard will toggle the note in the editor.

Move the right or left with the buttons you mapped, exit the editor with the “Escape” button.

Undo Button

• tap to undo last action
• long press to show a menu
  • undo last action
  • redo last undone action